Youths of the Yoruba nation group staged a protest on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, demanding the release of Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba nation agitator, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
The protesters, who gathered in front of Igboho’s residence at Soka area of Ibadan, later took the protest to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The protesters, mostly youths, carried placards with various inscriptions such as “Free Sunday Igboho, “He is not a terrorist”, “Igboho Ni Mi”, “Yoruba Nation now” and many others.
Sola Olalere, one of the leaders of the protest who spoke at the scene, accused the Federal Government of being behind Igboho’s continuous detention in Benin Republic, stressing that the case was different in the fight against banditry and terrorism.
He further appealed to traditional rulers in the South-West region to also raise their voices and join the campaign for the release of Sunday Igboho.
He said: “What we are saying to the government is that Sunday Igboho is a freedom fighter. He is fighting for the masses.
“I am from Ibarapa and two of my siblings were kidnapped; it was Sunday Igboho that liberated us and wherever Sunday Igboho leads us is where we will go.”
Sola noted that the protest Is a solidarity rally but also a warning to Government to release Igboho or face the consequences.
He said: “This message should go to them as a warning. It’s a solidarity rally but we are also warning the government to free Sunday Igboho. It’s possible that if they don’t listen to us, something else may happen like it did in the east.
“Bandits are killing people in the north and they are being paid handsomely with our commonwealth. The bulk of this money is even made in the southwest.
“We don’t want war, that’s why it a peaceful protest, the should leave Igboho alone. We know the Nigerian government is behind Igboho’s trial. They should act before the Yoruba youth ride up because we are not afraid of war.”
However, the protesters later returned to Igboho’s residence where they dispersed after the protest.
